Starbucks open-bathroom policy may hurt profits: Dr. Alveda King
Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Starbucks' racial-bias sensitivity training and the company's new bathroom policy.
The open-bathroom Starbucks policy may hurt the company’s profits, according to Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“The customers are not going to necessarily be able to buy their cup of coffee, so some of the Starbucks [stores] may find some challenges with their year-end dollar amounts,” King said during an interview on FOX Business' "Cavuto: Coast-to-Coast" on Tuesday.
The Seattle-based coffeehouse chain announced its open-to-all policy earlier this month in a message e-mailed to employees.
"Any person who enters our spaces, including patios, cafes and restrooms, regardless of whether they make a purchase, is considered a customer," Starbucks said.
Starbucks closed more than 8,000 U.S. stores for a portion of the day on Tuesday to allow employees to undergo racial-bias and sensitivity training.
The company drew criticism in April after a manager at a Philadelphia store called the police to complain about two African-American men who were meeting a friend. Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson were briefly arrested after they stayed at the store without making a purchase. The company soon apologized.
King said adopting her late uncle’s philosophy on race relations will help America evolve as a community of one.
“We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools,” she said.